The present invention relates to decorative exterior wall coverings, and in particular, to bonded injection molded siding panels having attachment elements to facilitate easier installation and functional elements to improve the aesthetics and performance of the panels.
Many types of exterior wall panels are currently known and used in the construction and improvement of residential, commercial, and industrial and other buildings. Typically, such panels are formed from a lightweight composite plastic material and are manufactured using conventional extrusion molding, injection molding, impression molding, vacuum molding or thermal molding processes. Such panels may be formed in various shapes, such as individual elongated sections similar to standard aluminum siding or single panels incorporating one or more rows of individual decorative elements. Individual panels are often connected to other previously installed, identical panels through a vertical attachment and a horizontal attachment by which portions of the panel to be installed overlap portions of previously installed panels.
Some prior known panel designs employ vertical side and horizontal bottom connections that must be viewed and fitted simultaneously by the installer during installation. The problem with these designs is that the installation of such panels is difficult because the installer can only do one connection at a time. Often the installer would attempt to circumvent this problem by first connecting only the vertical side of the horizontal bottom, only to discover that the remaining connection either cannot be attached, or will cause the initial connection to slip out of place.
In addition, many prior known panel designs have both side and bottom connections that require precise fit. Installation of these panels with such precise connections is difficult for several reasons. For example, often an entire row of connection must be attached along the vertical side or horizontal bottom of a panel, necessitating frequent checking and adjusting as the panel is maneuvered into its installed position. Also, this problem is exacerbated by the need for such panels to overlap in order to conceal their attachment points because connections are hidden from the installer as they are attached during installation. The installer is often forced to either position his head in an awkward viewing position near the wall surface when fitting the panel into position.
Further, prior panels have employed fastener attachments located on the rear of the panels that have no relations to reference elements on the front side of the panel. For example, one prior design comprises a series of tabs at intervals on the rear side of the panels that do not correspond to arrangements of any elements or reference points on the front side. This problem hampers installation because as described above, these elements are hidden from the installer during installation and the installer cannot, by simply looking at the front of the panel, identify the locations of the attachment elements on the rear side of the panel.
Prior known panel designs have also employed connections that lock firmly into place upon attachment. The problem with such a connection is that it may be so rigid that it cannot accommodate the inevitable movement associated with thermal expansion or contraction or the settling of the underlying wall surface after the panels are installed. This may cause buckling of the paneling or tearing of the attachments.
Also, many prior panel designs have been difficult to cut, trim, or otherwise adjust to fit into tight areas along the wall surface, such as within the gable of the roofline or the area surrounding windows or other surface irregularities. Some existing panels may only be cut in certain structurally designated locations without comprising their overall structural integrity. Other panels are made of materials that are difficult to cut occasionally requiring certain types of saws and saw blades.
In addition, many installers prefer panels that are well over the 8-foot length such as is common with aluminum siding or extruded vinyl siding. However, the extrusion process is not capable of providing a decorative appearance on the face of a siding panel that has the detail that can be obtained by using a process such as the injection molding process. For example, the extrusion process is not suitable for forming a panel having simulated cedar shake elements. The best process for forming elements of this type is the injection molding process; however, due to the cost of providing dies and extrusion machines of sufficient size, it is not common to use the injection molding process to produce panels that are 8 feet or longer. The vacuum thermal process has also been used to provide a simulated shake element on polymer panels in longer lengths; however, the aesthetic appearance and detail of panels formed with this process is considerably lacking compared to panels formed by the injection molding process.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wall panel that is easy to install. It is a further object that the invention that the panel have sound connections, but will readily allow for expansion and contraction of panels without comprising the integrity of the connections or adversely affecting the panels. It is also an object of the invention that the panels may be readily installed by a single installer. Another object of the invention is to provide a siding panel that may be formed by the injection molding process to obtain the superior aesthetics of simulated building elements such as cedar shake and that can be produced in lengths of 8 feet or longer.
One method of joining panels of a shorter lengths to form panels of a longer length by using a splicing member is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,050,041 and 6,393,792 B1, both to Mowery et al, and both of which are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference. Mowery, et al, discloses a splicing member having a formed flange that is received in a protruding flange of the panel. The splicing member may be attached to the panels using a fastener such as a rivet or screw, by use of an adhesive, or by welding the splicing member to the panels. It would be desirable, however, to provide a simple splicing member that can be used to join two sections of panel members together and that does not require locking flanges.
As such, an additional object of the invention is to provide a panel that has two or more sections joined together using a splicing member that does not require a flange or other interlocking configuration that fits into the flange portion of the panels therein.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method for cutting panels that are fused together to minimize waste. These and other objects of the invention have been accomplished by the decorative wall panels as set forth and described below.